Bombing in Iraqi

A wave of bombings in six Iraqi provinces, including 10 locations in Baghdad, has killed 62 people and wounded dozens more, Iraqi police say.

Many of the dead in the Iraqi capital were Shia pilgrims gathering for a religious festival.

In Hilla, two car bombs exploded near a restaurant, killing at least 19 people. There has been a wave of attacks on the Shia community in recent days, as it marks the anniversary of the death of Shia imam Moussa al-Kadhim. A man who witnessed one of the attacks in Baghdad said a car bomb had targeted pilgrims and had also hit people who were working in the city.

"People were slaughtered and killed right here. This wrecked car here belonged to a man who worked to earn his living, and another one belonged to a fuel seller. They could not find his body."

The restaurant that came under attack in Hilla is said to be frequented by police.

Three bombs exploded in Kirkuk, with one of them targeting the headquarters of Kurdish president Massoud Barzani. One person died and many were injured in that attack. One man told Reuters: "I want to ask the government, why do they put party headquarters in residential areas and among the civilians? Bombs are still occurring , killing and hurting innocent people."

There are also reports of bombs in Al-Azizyah, south of Baghdad, in Mosul, and another north of Kerbala. It is not yet clear who is responsible for Wednesday's attacks.

Four people were killed in a mortar attack near a religious shrine in Baghdad on Sunday.

Iraq's interior ministry said following that attack that there would be heightened security across the city as they anticipated further violence. Violence in Iraq has fallen since the sectarian killings of a few years ago, but militants still frequently attack security forces and civilians.

BBC world affairs correspondent Emily Buchanan says sectarian tensions have been simmering since the US withdrawal in December last year, and this kind of violence is exactly what they had feared. Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has been trying to consolidate Shia power at the expense of Sunni and Kurdish voices, she says.

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Prez poll: Left in favour of consensus candidate, says Yechury

Thrissur (Ker), CPI(M) today said it was in favour of a consensus candidate for Presidential poll and would disclose its stand on support only after the UPA announced its nominee. Congress has not taken any initiative so far to discuss either with the CPI(M) or other Left parties on the Presidential candidate, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.

To a question on his party's stand in case Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee emerges as the Congress candidate, Yechury asked them if anyone of them had written five years ago that the present incumbent Pratibha Patil would be the Congress nominee for the top post. Asked about the possibility of nominating Defence Minister A K Antony as the presidential nominee of the UPA, Yechury declined to comment.

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Cong MPs

All Cong MPs from NE to vote for party candidate in prez poll

Shillong, Union Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent H Pala today ruled out the possibility of former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma winning the Presidential election and said all the Congress MPs from the north east will vote for the candidate selected by the Congress and the UPA for the country's top post. "All MPs from the north east are bounded by the Congress high command and party decision in the Presidential election," Pal said here. Expressing that he, a Congress MP from Shillong, would be happy to vote for a person from the north east, Pala said, "Even if few of us vote for him (Sangma), it would not make enough margin to ensure his victory as most MPs of the region would be voting for the UPA candidate."

According to Pala, the region has a representation of about 30 in both the Houses. Pala who was here to review party's preparedness on the 2013 assembly poll in Meghalaya. "We have shortlisted about 40 candidates," Pala said.

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DMK

DMK functionary in Madurai held on land grabbing charge

Madurai, Senior district level functionary of DMK K Thalapathy has been arrested on a fresh land grabbing charge here today, police said. Besides Thalapathy, police arrested two others on a complaint from the resident of Thiagarajar Colony in this district.

According to Police, complainant M.Murugesan has charged that Thalapathy had instigated local DMK men to threaten him and take possession of his 1,115 Sq ft of land in the colony. District Superintendent of Police Balakrishnan ordered for an investigation into the complaint and following initial investigation, police arrested Thalapathy and three others. Thalapathy was arrested in a landgrabbing case last year and released later.

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Syria

Syria shelling, clashes kill 36

Beirut, Jun 12 (AFP) At least 36 people were killed in shelling and clashes across Syria today, 24 of whom were civilians and 12 soldiers, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Regime forces rained shells on rebel positions in the northwestern Latakia province, pounding the town of Al-Haffe for the eighth straight day as they appeared to be preparing to storm it, monitors said. The Observatory said troops also shelled rebel bastions in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the northern province of Aleppo and several parts of the central province of Homs. It said said 13 civilians, including a young girl, were killed when troops pounded a neighbourhood of the city of Deir Ezzor.

Regime forces also pounded Hreitan in the northern province of Aleppo while soldiers clashed with armed rebels at the entrance to the town, leading to "heavy losses among regime troops," activists said. The shelling "destroyed a large number of houses and forced residents to flee," said the Local Coordination Committees, which spearheads protests against the regime.

According to the Observatory, troops used heavy artillery and helicopter gunships in their attacks on Al-Haffe, where activists feared a massacre would be committed if regime troops managed to e nter the restive town. At least 120 people have died in fighting in Al-Haffe over the past week, including 68 troops, 29 civilians and 23 rebels, with hundreds wounded, the Observatory's Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Troops also stepped up attacks on the central city of Homs and its suburbs, pounding rebel positions, the Observatory said.

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Swamy attacks Team Anna

Swamy attacks Team Anna for not targeting Sonia Gandhi

Shimla, PTI) Janata Party President Subramanium Swamy today attacked the Team Anna for targetting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his ministers. "Why Team Anna is not attacking Sonia Gandhi who is heading UPA and enjoys a cabinet rank and only targeting Manmohan Singh?" he said. Opposing 4.5 per cent reservation for Muslims from 27 percent OBC quota, Swamy alleged it was unconstitutional.

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2G spectrum

BJP rubbishes Raja's contention on 2G spectrum allocation

New Delhi, June 11 (PTI) BJP today rubbished former Telecom Minister and 2G scam accused A Raja's contention that there was no loss in the allocation of spectrum, saying there is enough evidence to show misuse of power and favouritism in the deal. "We have repeatedly said, whether Raja is saying it today or Sibal has said it earlier, that CAG report has given us various explanations why there was a loss. This issue is with the PAC and the JPC is also looking into it," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She maintained that there was a clearly "misuse of political power and nepotism and favouritism has played a hand". Refusing to delve further into the issue, Sitharaman said, "This matter is sub-judice. Without a loss, this matter would not have come this far. There has definitely been a loss." When the issue had come to light, BJP had raised it vociferously in Parliament. The CAG had pegged the loss in 2G scam at Rs 1.76 lakh crore. BJP had forced the washout of a whole Winter session of Parliament demanding that a JPC be formed to probe the 2G spectrum scam. Raja was arrested in the case along with others. He was released recently on bail.

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